Politics & Government
Baltimore County Voters Move Toward Public Matching Fund For Candidates
Preliminary election results showed more than 55 percent of voters signed off on creating an election fund that would match small donations.
By Bennett Leckrone
November 5, 2020
Preliminary election results showed that more than 55% of voters signed off on creating an election fund that would match small donations for local candidates in Baltimore County, a measure advocates say would create fairer elections in the county.
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The charter amendment would create a Citizens’ Election Fund system in the county, establishing a public trust that, starting in 2026, would match small donations for county council and county executive candidates. It also would establish a commission within the county that would determine details and provide for funding of the program. Participation would be voluntary for candidates.
Voting rights advocates celebrated the amendment’s anticipated passage on Wednesday. In a statement, advocates called the amendment’s passage a “monumental step” in making elections more accessible to candidates in Baltimore County.
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County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. (D) helped get the charter amendment on the ballot, according to the release. Candidates who opt into the election fund program would be bound to strict ethics rules, and wouldn’t be able to accept large donations, such as are typical from lobbyists or political action committees.
Maryland PIRG Director Emily Scarr said that voters’ approval of the amendment sends a strong message about what Baltimore County residents want from their candidates.
“When campaigns are dominated by large and corporate donors, we all lose. In passing Question A, voters have sent a clear message to the County Council that Baltimore County residents should have a voice in local government regardless of how much money they have,” Scarr said in a statement from PIRG.
Running for office in Baltimore County is expensive. According to Common Cause/Maryland, four candidates for county executive in 2018 raised over $1 million dollars each during their campaigns, and the winning candidate, Olszewski, raised more than $2.2 million.
Howard and Montgomery counties already have similar programs. Prince George’s County passed a similar law in 2018, though it won’t take effect until the 2026 election cycle.
Joanne Antoine, the executive director of Common Cause/Maryland, said an election fund makes running for office more feasible for traditionally underrepresented groups.
“The Citizens’ Election Fund can expand opportunities to run for office, so more women and people of color can compete for County Council and County Executive races,” Antoine said in a statement.
But results aren’t final, and as of Wednesday afternoon Baltimore County officials were still processing ballots cast on Election Day. Also, local boards of elections in Maryland will accept mail-in ballots until the morning of Nov. 13.
bleckrone@marylandmatters.org
